Guard



Oct. 14, 1941. LE ROY v 2,259,388

,GUARD Filed March 10, 1941 166 6'. Mall,

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUARD Le Roy G. Moll, Scarsdale, N. Y.

Application March 10, 1941, Serial N 0. 382,652

2 Claims.

My invention relates to guards and has as one of the principal objects thereof the provision of a finger or thumb guard so constructed and arranged as to adequately protect the finger or thumb from injury during use of a cutting tool and which will at the same time permit the finger or thumb to function in a proper manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the foregoing described character so constructed and arranged as to preclude contact of the thumb or finger with the edge of a knife during use of the same by the operator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the foregoing described character equipped with self-adjusting and readily replaceable means whereby the device may be secured to the thumb or finger for guarding the same against injury.

A special object of my invention is to provide a device of the foregoing described character wherein the finger or thumb engaging element is constructed of material adapted to coact with the tool or knife in a manner to preclude relative slipping.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction, durable in use, efiicient in operation and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout engaging face I and with a relatively flat tool engaging face 8 oppositely disposed from the face I. Extending through the slot is a resilient element 9, the latter comprising a length of elastic tape, or webbing having its ends stitched together in overlapped relation as at M. The decompressed thickness of the overlapped ends is slightly greater than the corresponding thickness of the slot whereby the walls of the slot serve to maintain the overlapped ends compressed therebetween and thereby maintain the ends clamped within the slot to conceal the overlapped ends.

When it is desired to replace the element 9, the same is transversely cut and removed from the block whereupon the end of a replacement length is inserted through the slot and stitched to its other end and disposed with said other end within the slot as clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

The block 5 is preferably constructed of wood although any other suitable material may be utilized. By constructing my block of wood I obtain a pliable or yieldable tool engaging surface which when pressure is exerted on the block is readily distorted by the knife to form a groove receiving the edge of the knife and which groove is defined by side walls coacting with the knife to preclude relative lateral slippage therebetween. Also the concavity of the finger engaging face provides marginal portions embracing the sides of the finger to preclude side slipping of the finger during operation of the device.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that when my device is applied to the thumb of an operator as illustrated in Figure 1, it serves to guard and protect the thumb from the blade of the, knife during use of the latter. thereby precluding injury to the thumb when pressure is exerted upon the block by the thumb.

Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in various forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: l

1. In a guard of the class described, a member provided with a tool engaging face and formed with a transverse slot, a resilient element extending through said slot for securing said member 'to the finger of an operator, said member being provided with an arciform face oppositely disposed from said first mentioned face for receiving said finger and with the mar-- ginal portions of said face adapted to embrace the sides of said finger to preclude relative side slipping.

2. In a guard of the class described, a member provided with an arciform finger receiving face and with the side marginal portions of said face adapted to embrace the sides of a finger to cohi'bit relative side slipping, said member provided with a relatively fiat tool engaging face constructed of relatively hard material of a type capable of developing a dalk when subjected posed in overlapped relation within said slot, the

ends of said tape when so related being of a greater decompressed thickness than the co incident thickness of said slot to effect compression of said ends by walls defining said slot and thus clamp the ends within said slot for concealing the ends therein.

LE ROY G. MELL. 

